Milaandra

Just got off the Ambition 2 week Iceland cruise. There were two formal nights, and all others were casual. On the formal nights, I would say long dresses and tuxes were represented but not standard. Disappointingly, there weren't any of those formal portrait stations you get on other cruise ships. I did hear that photographers at the captain's welcome party took full length photos, but I missed that.

I'm back from two weeks on the Ambition, and I'll be doing a review in a few days In the meantime, I'd be happy to give you my impressions of the ship itself if that would be useful. I was in an inside cabin. Overall, I liked the ship. Small enough to get where you need to go quickly, but it felt roomy. Some areas were creatively designed and felt really comfortable. It does need some tweaks...the beverage areas of the buffet desperately need to be moved to facilitate easy traffic flow, carpeting in the cabin deck hallways needs replacing, the cabin storage needs adjusting to be truly useful and the Buckingham needs a reboot (bad chairs, traffic flow issues and it was oddly noisy which we speculated was due to the ceiling material) The inside cabin had a small bathroom...frankly, heavier people might find the toilet unusable as the space was very narrow even by cruise ship standards. And why, oh why, don't cruise ships provide a swing out magnifying mirror? You can get them in the pound shops, for goodness sake! (sorry...pet peeve of mine as I'm nearsighted as hell)

I just got off a 2 week Iceland cruise, and there were free shuttle buses in every port that required one. I don't know if they were from Ambassador or the port cities.

I just got off Ambition after the Fire & Ice cruise, and I agree with most of what you have said with a few exceptions. -Our cabin was too warm and we complained four times to no avail. Finally when the outdoor temperature hit 20 three days before disembarkation, miraculously our cabin was cool and we could hear the fan operating. This leads me to believe that it makes no difference what the passengers want...the HVAC gets turned on based on outdoor temps. The coolest area of the ship is the games room (Aces & Eights) -I loved Deck 11 (the pool deck)...I thought it was pretty and homey and had lots of little areas that let you enjoy the outdoors. Most of the cruise there was no music on Deck 11 so you could talk or read easily. The pool was rarely filled and running, but when it was, it was more like a fountain...very pretty. -After a couple of days I started skipping breakfast because I hate starting my day at a buffet...and the breakfast choices were boring. -They have a very good baker on board. -The dining room meals were nicely presented and served with nice sauces and good sides, but a few times the meat wasn't good at all. -The dining room (Buckingham) was particularly warm, even when the AC got turned on. I could practically feel my ankles swelling while I sat there -Apart from one formal night per week, the rest of the dinners were casual. Boy, did I pack wrong! -Apart from the captain's welcome party, there was no formal portrait photography, just some dinner table shots. -there are only three small drawers in the cabin. (inside) Everything else is shelving behind cabinet doors, so I recommend bringing some little plastic trays or ikea folding baskets to hold small items like medicines and makeup, etc. -in an inside, there are two UK outlets, one euro outlet, one USB and one USB-C outlets, plus one shaver outlet in the ceiling of the bathroom.The outlets take the place of what should have been a shallow desk drawer, again, leaving no where to store small items -I found that most people at first sitting used the hand sanitizer...I didn't because I had just come from my cabin where I had washed my hands. I found the wash stations useful for lunch at the buffet

I was able to reschedule our transport, and since it was cheap to begin with, the extra it cost is still pretty low. We're just the type of people who like a large window and having a booked time just one hour before embarkation closes just keeps me worrying that something will screw up. (Yes, we also come back on board early on shore days, too!) We like to get on the ship, have lunch, settle in, explore the ship, unpack...and then we can truly relax. I'm mostly unhappy that it didn't matter what I wanted.

No, we're on, I think, the third voyage. Passengers on the maiden voyage should be disembarking Friday, I believe, so hopefully more information will come in soon.

I noticed the big dent, but I didn't see the cupboard door...I'll go watch again. I was disappointed there weren't videos of other cabin classes. There are a couple of other cabin tours on youtube, but again, they are from comped reviewers, so they are also junior suites. One showed a quick glance at an inside, but just of the beds, which didn't help. I'm not used to cruising without knowing exactly what the storage situation is, the layout and where the power points are.

Cruise Buoys have a couple of youtube videos about the launch event, if you want to see a review of the ship and what it has to offer.

Ambition wasn't. It was actually completely refurbed by Aida at the end of 2019, and only sailed for a short time because of covid. I haven't been on her yet, but I'll let you know in a few weeks.

It's likely too late to help you, but... JJ's House. Beautifully constructed gowns of every style and colour. You can even search by particular features, like length, silhouette, sleeve length, etc. Follow the size chart on each gown...it's pretty accurate I ended up buying a bunch, and only one of the bunch had a fitting problem (needed the shoulders taken up and the cuffs tightened) You can pay for regular sizes, a bit extra for custom measurements or the best deals of the century, samples!!! (which is what I end up getting, cause I love a bargain) The selection of samples may be limited in the sizes and colours available but man! they are so inexpensive and because they are ready to go, they ship really quickly. (in just days to the UK...not sure about the US) People submit reviews, sometimes with photos, so you can see what they look like on real people. I sound like a commercial, but this place has been such a great shopping experience for me! (which is a rare, rare thing)

Just so everyone is aware, Ambassador allocates rigid embarkation times 21 days out from the cruise, and those times are based on cabin category and deck, according to their customer service. You can't get that time changed even if the ship isn't full. (I've tried twice) Just know that if you stay at a hotel you may have to arrange late check-out, and if taking flights/public transportation you may have to either rearrange your tickets or wait to book after you know your allocated embarkation time. I know this won't bother many or most people, but I hate it! 😒 (grumble, grumble) Oh, well. Off to try and rearrange our transport...

My husband is travelling on his Canadian passport. They never asked for his UK residency status. I would just confirm whether the travel insurance requirement pertains to citizens of other countries and if so, ensure they accept your insurance.

Again, I haven't been on the cruise yet, and I'm hoping it will be great, but thus far I'm really unimpressed with their customer service policies. They are friendly and polite, but in my experience, completely inflexible. Every cruise line has strengths and weaknesses, and I'm hoping this weakness will be balanced by other strengths. After getting caught by rail strike issues and/or train delays getting to or from Southampton on our last two cruises, we have been hoping that this cruise line would become our go-to because of the closer embarkation ports.

We are sailing with Ambassador soon for the first time, so I can't comment on how it compares with other cruise lines. If I was brutally honest, though, I'd suggest going with a more established cruise line and doing a week's cruise for your first one. Just in case. 16 days is a long time if you end up hating it. I'm a bit biased toward NCL, as you can see from my signature, but the new cruiser advantages include informal dress and freestyle dining (which they do very efficiently) which will feel more like going to a restaurant where and when you want. The only disadvantage is that sea days can be a bit boring, and the service charges are higher. The drinks package is a great value on NCL, where individual drinks are higher priced than on the UK lines. I'd stick to a mid-ship lower level cabin for your first time and make sure you have cabins above and to each side of you, well away from nightclubs and the theatre...a few cabins away from the lifts, too. I would stick with a smaller ship, but NCL has several of those, like the Jade, Dawn & Star. (We didn't like the Spirit as much) NCL also has a very lively and helpful board here and have ships that sail from Southampton. Most people love cruising the minute they step on board, but not everyone, so I'd stack the deck. (no pun intended!) Just my opinion 🙂

Isn't Sailing Canary flying? We don't restrict our clothing much if we're cruising no-fly. 😀

For me it's weight. I pack tight and could easily go over the weight limit.

Thanks for the information! And darn! I think I'm going to be a bit overdressed...

Oh, and for flights, usually the standard carry-on wheelie bag has a weight allowance, but the under the seat small bag does not...so obviously if you have a heavy item, put it in the small bag! You can shift it later.

I'm one of those who did an 11 night cruise, with cocktail dresses, in only a small carry on and a big purse..in europe...in winter... My biggest tip is: weigh your clothing. Get out the kitchen scales. It's amazing how your perceptions can be so off, and the shoes you planned to bring weigh far more than the pair that only looks heavier. Or those wrinkle resistant trousers may weigh more than several pairs of chinos. Chiffon is your friend. A chiffon blouse weighs next to nothing, rolls tiny, doesn't wrinkle and creates a whole new look. And if you have to wash them, due to food spillage or such, they are dry in no time. For evening wear, a pair of black polyester trousers and a black cami can become a base for a series of little chiffon tops. Basic black trousers all look the same anyway and you're only wearing them for a couple of hours in air-conditioning...how dirty can they get? Depending on the cruise line, most have casual days where you could easily wear whatever you wore during the day. Stuff your shoes with your socks and even undies. (that protects the shoes from crushing, too) In fact, weigh your undies...I discovered that Marks & Spencers knickers are much lighter than, say, fruit of the loom and last just as long. The tshirt you wear the first day can become your sleepwear. And as everyone else said, wear your heaviest stuff on the plane. (jeans, if you wear them...boots, if you wear them)

And approximately how many smart days per week, as opposed to casual days? I like to plan things out to reduce over- or under-packing. Thanks!

The trick to cobblestones is footwear with a thicker sole and a cushiony insole. My new favourites for sightseeing are a pair of plain lightweight athletic style shoes. I'm only 60 but I have a bum knee and some other issues, so these are some of the things I've come up with: I go through pages of reviews and photos to find information about the physical difficulty of tours and attractions. Often people put their gopro on and you can see them, say, walking to the Briksdal glacier. If breathless on a hill, stop and pretend your phone buzzed and check it until you catch your breath...or stop and take photos of the buildings! 😄 Take the arm of a family member for extra stability...even at my age I do that for slick or really rough surfaces. I know my husband is sure-footed...me, not so much! so I use him as a walking banister! This year I plan to bring one of those plastic folding step stools for getting on and off tour buses...I might chicken out, but that's my plan at this point. City buses are no problem, but at 5'3" with a bum knee, I find tall long-distance buses difficult to exit without hurting my knee.. Take cabs. We were never taxi people, but over the past few years we've seen the light. When giving tourist advice to other friends with bad knees, I'll tell them to take a taxi from Waverly Station to Edinburgh Castle (or from Stirling station to Stirling Castle). It's not expensive, and then you're fresh for wandering around and it's easier to stroll down the hill after than it is to climb the hill. Not only can you get assistance at the airport, but also for trains if you request it in advance, including a ramp...and distance buses have always dealt with your luggage for you. So will your cabbie. I still think you should get off at the easy access ports...even if you read your book at a nearby outdoor cafe or people-watch... I've had some lovely experiences at quiet out of the way patios when we stop for lunch or a coffee. Add some church bells or singing birds and I'm in bliss...

We're taking an Ambassador cruise in June that is 14 days, a stop in Shetland, a couple of stops in the Faroes, four stops in Iceland including an overnight in Reykjavik. The only mainland stops are Scabster and either Dundee or Newcastle (because the cruise has a choice of two embarkation points...in our case we are embarking in Dundee, so Newcastle is a port stop) There is only one tender (Isafjordur). Smaller refurbished ships. The cruise is Iceland's Land of Ice and Fire. The price point is affordable and the excursions are mostly half day, but again, not badly priced, and lots of things we found interesting. For example, out of Lerwick we're taking an excursion to Jarlshof, I've never travelled Ambassador, and this is a newly acquired ship that is launching this month, but I'd be happy to report back on my experience if you would find that useful.

So very much! Thanks!

Hi! We're booked for Iceland in June on the Ambition. 1. Can you tell me how many smart nights vs casual nights? The cruise line states how many formal nights, but not how many smart nights and I like to plan ahead. 2. How would you rate/compare the dining room food overall? For example, how is the quality of the beef? 3. At what point did excursions go up for sale, and how were the prices of those? Thanks!

That isn't what I said. I was just describing the cherry on top of a pretty crappy ending to the cruise. The biggest issue is the lack of timely communication. One of our roll call members found out about the delay in Haugesund from her private tour guide on the 10th. Didn't Princess tell us on the 12th? Some passengers knew about the covid outbreak a full 24 hours before we were informed officially. And they must have known there was a good chance they were going to miss their window for disembarkation docking...why not tell us of the possibility so we could try and make alternative arrangements before everything was closed for the day? And what was with the unexpected information about the ship being too big for the shorter way to Lofoten? Why wasn't that anticipated?